Pin retainer



July 31, 1951 B. sTEENsEN 2,562,649

PIN RETAINER Filed May 9, 1946 g-/zg' JNVENTOR.

i Tra/VIVEVS.

Patented `uly 31, 195i PIN RETAINER Bernard Steensen, Detroi/tfMich.,` assigner to Chrysler Corporation, Highland Park', Mich., a

corporation of Delaware Application May 9, 1946, SerialfNo. 668,552

9 Claims. (C1. 16-169) My invention relates to retaining means for bolts or pins. v l

It is an object of my invention to provide a clip which may be readily assembled with Va bolt or pin to hold it in its predetermined position relative to a cooperating member without the use of threads, cotter pins, nuts, washers, and the like. The clip is economical to manufacture and facilitates rapid assembly work. It may be used with a hinge pin that requires a minimum of manufacturing operation in its fabrication. A straight shaft and irregular head are the only requirements. Heretofore, it has been necessary to incorporate holes, slots, threads or expensive machining elements as a component of the fastening means. In addition, the clip may be so formed vas to present a smooth exterior surface.

It is common practice for a pin or bolt retained by a first member to form the journal upon which a second member having a bearing is mounted for relative rotation between the members. Hinges are an example of constructions of this nature. It is often desirable to prevent the hinge pin from rotating relative to one of the members.

My invention is adapted to retain the hinge pin against rotation relative to one of the hinge members within the limits of the relative movement of the members. My description herein illustrates an automobile accelerator pedal hinge in which it is desirable to have the pin remain stationary relative to the vehicle floor bracket so that a relatively large bearing surface of. selflubricating material may be provided on the pedal and relatively small areas of contact between the bracket and pin may be provided because of the assurance that there will be no rotation therebetween. Y

I have provided a clip which will perform the desired functions which has the additional ad-` vantage of being positioned at one end of the hinge assembly. There are no cumbersome crossover elements to reach the opposite end of the hinge assembly required-as component parts of my clip.

My invention is not intended to be limited to accelerator pedal hinges but it will be described in relation thereto as a typical application of my invention.

In the drawings: Y

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an automobile accelerator pedal, oor bracket and hinge pin assembly with a portion thereof broken away to show interior construction.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-.2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of the clip as 2 viewed from the pin head contacting side thereof; and

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-.4 of Fig. 3. Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 shows a floor bracket Ii) which may be fastened to the vehicle floor by any suitable means such as by screws e (not shown) which penetrate openings II therein. VThe bracket I has a base portion IIIa and a pair of parallel vertical ears Ib thereon. A pair of aligned holes I2 are 4provided in ears I()b to receive an extended element or hinge pin I3. An accelerator pedal Ill adaptedto. be depressed ,by the vehicle drivers foot is disposed between ears IIlb. A casing element I5 is welded or otherwise secured to pedal III. Casing element I5 has a cylindrical portion I6 which encompasses a tubu.- lar bearing member I'l. Bearing member Il engages pin I3 and is preferably formed of some metal composition different from that of the pin I3. The. bearing member I'I is preferably Aformed by molding and sintering powdered metal or metals of different melting points in a manner now well known in forming porous metal bearings of the self-lubricating type as, by way of example,v set forth in the patents to C. A. Tea 1,927,619 of September 19, 1933 `and to W. G. Callgirls etal. Y1,927,627 of vSeptember 19, 1933. Lubricant may be provided in the form of graphite included in the metal Vmixture supplemented by or. substitutedby fluid lubricantabsorbed by immersing the bearing in lubricating oil then to be exuded to the bearing surface.

A It is desirable ,that the pin I3 be held relative to bracket III so that motion of pedal I4 will be accommodated by rotation of bearing member I] on pin I3 rather than having pin I3 rotatewwith pedal I and wear the relatively thin ears IUP which form a less desirable .bearing surface/at the holes I2. Means to accomplish this are provided in my novel clip and its cooperation with pin I3 and bracket ID.

` Pin I3 is provided with apolygonal head I8. The drawings illustrate a pin head of hexagonal section. The-engagement of head I8 with ear Ib prevents pin I3 from'moving to the right in Fig. 2. Myl novel clip-is provided with a concave pin Ahead receiving portion 20 having surfaces therein which engage corresponding pin head surfaces 22 to prevent rotation of the pin relative to the clip.` A preferred form of the device is shown in which the concave pin head receiving portion 20 of myclip is hexagonal to cooperate with the hexagonal pin head I8. j A pair of legs'or clip members 23 are each adapted t0 Snap over ear I0 and vare offset .below the @xls 3 of pin head receiving portion 20. The clip members 23 have a common central portion 23 joined to pin head receiving portion 2D. The clip members 23 and their common portion 23 when assembled as shown in Fig. 1 are offset below the axis of pin I3 a suiicient distance so that cylindrical portion I6 of casing element I5 may extend substantially the full distance along pin I3 between ears IIIb without incurring interference from members 23' Clip members 23 are preferably formed of flat spring steel and have portions parallel to and in combination approximately the width of ear Illb and portions 23 bent forwardly parallel to the axis of pin I3. Portions 23 have shoulders 25 adapted to snap over the inner edge of ear Ib.

The clip through its engagement of shoulders 25 with ear Illb prevents pin I3 from moving to the left in Figs. 1 and 2. The clip also prevents pin I3 from rotating relative to bracket I0 throughl out `the range of operating movement of 'pedal I4. The positive connection of clip members 23 with bracket ear Illb combined with the hexagonal pin head and hexagonal pin head receiving portion 20, prevent the rotation.

Hinge pin I3 may be a relatively simple form of pin having a straight shaft and the head I8. The desired results described above are obtained by my clip without the necessity of providing cooperating holes, slots, threads, or the like in pin I3. The elimination of these elements makes the pin considerably more economical to manufacture.

The clip is completely assembled with the hinge elements at one end thereof. This facilitates assembly and installation.

I claim:

1. A hinge assembly comprising a first hinge member and a second hinge member, said members having aligned holes therein, a pin penetrating said holes and having a head thereon, a clip covering said head and having a snap on engagement with said first member in a region of close proximity to said head to retain said pin in said holes.

2. A hinge assembly comprising a vfirst hinge -member and a second hinge member having aligned holes therein, a pin having fa head thereon, said pin being adapted to be inserted in said lholes from one end of the hinge by axial move- -ment in a first direction said head being operable to abut said first hinge member to limit the :axial movement of said pin in said iirst direction and a clip having a iirst portion adapted to en'- gage said head and another portion adapted to effect a snap on engagement with said first hinge member when said clip is installed on said one end by axial movement thereof in said first direction.

3. A hinge Aassembly comprising a fixed bracket having upturned ears adjacent each end thereof 'and having aligned holes therein, a pin engaging said holes and having a laterally extending element abutting one of said ears to prevent axial movement of said pin in one direction, a member positioned. between said ears for rotation relative to said bracket, a bearing means engaging said pin throughout a substantial portion of the length of the pin between said ears, said bearing means being operatively connected to said member, and means engaging said laterally extending element Vand clipping to said bracket to prevent axial movement of said pin inv-a second -direction and rotation thereof relative to 4 said bracket within the limits of movement of said member.

4. A hinge assembly comprising a fixed bracket having upturned ears adjacent each end thereof and having aligned holes therein, a pin engaging said holes and having a laterally extending element abutting one of said ears to prevent axial movement of said `pin in one direction, a member positioned between said ears for rotation relative to said bracket, a clip device engaging said laterally extending element and having a pair of flexible arms adapted to engage one of said ears to prevent movement of said element relative to said ear, said arms being cifset to eliminate 'interference with said member.

5. A hinge assembly comprising a first hinge member having Vfirst and second spaced ears thereon and a second hinge member positioned between said ears, said ears and said second member having aligned holes therein, a pin hav- 'ing a head Kthereonfabutti'rig said 'first ear rand a solid relatively smooth shank penetrating said fvaligne"d'holes, J"a r'st means having a portion L'adapted to rceivefsai'd head and including means providing -a positive connection of said portion n holes.

fr'. A mechanism ifor `pivotally vmounting "a vehicleacceleratorpedal on'the iioor of a motor fvehicle comprising a brackets'ecured to said floor randhavin'rgspaced'ups'tanding ears provided with alignedholea api'n'having ajhea'd thereon engag- 45 ingfa "first 'one 'of said ears 'and a shaft penetiiatingl 'saidfaligiied 'hole's,"said pedal having a fcfylindrical element 'associated therewith which located 'between s aid ears, said element cir- 'cu'mts'ciibing 'said shaft andfaclipextending over saidlhead Vand engaging 'said VA'first fear to retain "pin 'in isaidfholeafsaid 'head and saidclip havingcooperatingsurfaces operable to prevent -relative rotationtherebetween whereby rotation of said .pin relative to said earsl .is prevented by `8. A hinge 4assembly comprising 4a lfirst hinge member and Aa second hinge member, said 'meinbers'hav'in'g aligned 'holes therein, a pin having a polygonal headjthereon and engaging said holes, said -heau 'abetting fsaia farsi hinge member lto prevent axial 'movement of Ysaid pinin a first direction, a first "means having a 'portion adapte'd tb receive-saidlliead.said"portion 'having Yelements therein adapted to cooperate with the polygonal contour {c'f fsaid head to "prevent relative rotation Abetween said :head and A'said 'first means and said -iirstmeans having a surface lsubstantially normal to the axis of said pihfto-prevent axial movement thereof in 5a 'second-directi'nfand saidiirs't meansiinclu'ding means: providing polsitivej'chnectio'n "between vsaid lfirst fieasfandsaid r'st iliiiige mei-lib er at la 'location immediately adjacent Saidh'eadi- 5 adjacent opposite ends thereof and aligned holes therein and a second hinge member having a hole aligned with the holes in said ears, a hollow cylindrical bearing member located in the hole in said second hinge member, said bearing member having a relatively long bearing surface and being formed of molded and sintered powdered metal having a lubricant content therein, a pin having a polygonal head thereon, said pin penetrating the hollow bearing member and the holes in said ears, said head abutting said frst ear to prevent axial movement of said pin in a first direction, a first means adapted to receive said head, said rst means having portions thereof adapted to cooperate With the polygonal head of said pin to prevent relative rotation between said head and said first means and said flrst means having a surface substantially normal to the axis of said pin to prevent axial movement there- REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,175,081 Petrich Mar. 14, 1916 1,562,774 Kaufmann Nov. 24, 1925 1,620,701 Teich Mar. 15, 1927 1,997,147 Jordan Apr. 9, 1935 2,134,397 Clark Oct. 25, 1938 

